super bowl

The Minnesota Fightin’ Vikings bye week has come and gone, but at least the Packers losing and FOX Sports graphics department kept us entertained. We scrounged up some loose talking points to kick start us back into football mode as Mike Zimmer and the Vikings try to win a dozen Lombardis this year.

Taking a dive into veteran reporter Mark Craig's new book on Vikings history.

I’ll start with a bit of unbridled truth: I really wanted to like Mark Craig’s book, 100 Things Vikings Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die (Triumph Books, available October 1, 2016). For one, I’ve admired Craig’s work with the Star Tribune for years, and consider him a gifted writer and one of the more astute NFL minds in the market. Me criticizing him on sports writing would be like Ashlee Simpson giving Beyonce voice lessons. Two, as someone who has written a few books myself—and gotten my share of…um…mixed reviews—the last thing I want to do is drop the hammer on another author. Nothing changes the way you look at criticism quite as much as being on the receiving end.

So when I accepted the offer to review 100 Things, it was with mixed emotions. On one hand, I was excited to read Mark Craig’s first endeavor into book-length Vikings journalism. On the other, I was scared it wouldn’t be that good. That would make things complicated, and awkward.

I promised myself before I dove in, when I was done with the book, I’d write an honest review no matter what. I’d give my thoughts and overall impression as an admittedly half-baked reviewer, but one who tells the truth, because I cannot think of many things less interesting than reading a biased or otherwise insincere review. I’ve read my share of thinly veiled press releases, and I had no interest in spending time writing one.

Alan Roach, the thunderous Public Address Announcer of the Minnesota Vikings, joined us to talk about his new gig, growing up as a Minnesota Vikings fan, and what it’s like having the pipes of Zeus. We also dove into how he got his start in radio and eventually becoming the voice of the Denver Broncos for almost two decades, what US Bank Stadium was like for opening night versus Green Bay], what all goes into the production of an NFL stadium experience (a lot), if he every got nervous announcing a Super Bowl, and how he thinks a Super Bowl between the 1998 Vikings and Broncos would have shook out.

I also make him relive Tebow Time and get a “Bradford to Pruitt for 27” call out of him. Because that’s how I roll.

The Minnesota Fightin’ Vikings officially (kinda) open up US Bank Stadium Sunday at noon as they welcome in the Los Angeles Chargers of Anaheim San Diego Super Chargers for an afternoon of full speed football that doesn’t count. Teddy Bridgewater says he’s playing. Adrian Peterson says he’s not. Still a few positons and roster spots up for grabs before the team has to whittle the roster down to 75 by 4pm ET on Thursday. We discuss some of those items as well as what we want to figure out about this new behemoth of a stadium.

Today’s Brand New Toy Talking Points Include:
• How’s Teddy Gonna Look?
• Adrian’s Not Playing in the Preseason
• Who’s Going to Start at Center?
• What’s The Wide Receiver Order Going to Be?
• Can the Running Game Get Going?
• Can the Offensive Line Protect?
• Will Moritz Boehringer be a 75-Man Cut?
• The Health of Kendricks, Floyd, Xavier, Barr
• Can the Defense Still be Elite with Missing Pieces?
• Who’s Going to Be on the Roster at Safety?
• Will the “Gates” Be Open?
• How is the Sun Going to Play?
• Will Some Players Get a Stay of Execution?
• How Loud Can US Bank Stadium Get?

The Minnesota Fightin’ Vikings wrapped up mini-camp Thursday at Winter Park by cancelling practice and letting the Purple get a jump on their summer vacations a few hours early. We’re still on our grind here though bringing you a ten-pack of Vikings talkers to take you into Father’s Day weekend and the official start to summer.

Today’s Topics Include
• Vikings Mini-Camp Wrapped Up a Day Early
• Joint Practices Announced with the Bengals
• Only 10 Days in Mankato
• Adrian Says to Trade Anyone Not Thinking Super Bowl
• Laquon Treadwell Got Hazed with…. Fruit Snacks?
• Will This be the Year for Cordarrelle?
• Why Linval & Sharrif Benefit from Fletcher Cox’s Mega-Deal
• What if Xavier Rhodes Becomes Good at Off Coverage?
• Decoding What Everyone’s Saying About Mortiz Boehringer
• Vikings Cut DT Bruce Gaston & LB Travis Lewis

All that and other “Madison Treadwell’s School Lunches are the REAL Winner” nonsense on this edition of the Purple FTW! Podcast.